Treatment

Drugs such as nitazoxanide have been used in children and adults. Other drugs that are sometimes used include:

Atovaquone

Paromomycin

However, these drugs often only help for a little while. It is common for the infection to return.

The best approach is to improve immune function in people who have a weakened immune system. This can be done by using highly active antiviral therapy in people with AIDS. It can lead to a complete remission of cryptosporidium enteritis.

Support Groups

Expectations (prognosis)

In healthy people, the infection will clear up, but it can last up to a month. In people who are immunosuppressed, long-term diarrhea may cause weight loss and malnutrition.

Complications

Cholangitis (inflammation of a bile duct)

Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder)

Hepatitis

Malabsorption (not enough nutrients being absorbed from the intestinal tract)

Pancreatitis

Wasting syndrome (loss of body mass where the person becomes very thin and weak)

Calling your health care provider

Notify your health care provider if you develop watery diarrhea that does not go away within a few days, especially if you have a suppressed immune system.

Prevention

Proper sanitation and hygiene, including handwashing, are important measures for preventing this illness.

Certain water filters can also reduce risk by filtering out the Cryptosporidium eggs. However, the pores of the filter must be smaller than 1 micron to be effective. If you are immunosuppressed, ask your doctor if you need to boil your water.

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